SQUEE!
The first episode of the Tethe'alla arc for the Tales of Symphonia OVA!
SHE BE OUT!
What a treat! I go digging randomly through the web to see if I can download the first four episodes of the OVA in order to make some Colloyd tributes and I find out the Tethe'alla arc is finally being broadcasted/distributed across the interwebs.
YAAAAAAAAY!
*claps*
Let's have a look through shall we?
1. Prologue - AKA IN WHICH LLOYD/COLETTE IS EPIC
We open with a montage of scenes from the first four episodes, the Sylvarant arc, accompanied by a voice-over from Lloyd. He berates himself for not being strong enough to save Colette, for not being able to ease her suffering, and for not getting there in time to stop her from losing her soul. He vows fervently to do everything in his power to restore Colette back to normal, so he can see her beautiful smile again.
AND MY SHIPPER'S HEART GOES SQUEEEEEEEEEE!
2. Zelos's Backstory Flashback - AKA AWW POOR MINI-ZELOS!
We next get a graytoned flashback of Zelos's backstory (which I know from reading TVTropes) in a snowy town (Flanoir?). We see some elf or half-elf maybe get roughed up by... I dunno, some thugs and then we get to watch Zelos' mother die. After telling him he shouldn't have been born. Nice.
All I got to say about this bit is that mini-Zelos is the cutest little thing in the world.
3. Present Day in Tethe'alla - AKA ZELOS IS AWESOME AND I FLAIL A LOT OVER HIM
Okay seriously. What the heck is wrong with me?! The Let's Play I've been watching of the Tales of Symphonia game JUST got to the part where we met Zelos and had him join the party. I should not be this fangirlishly squealy over seeing him in the OVA so soon.
Well... I guess he is very loveable. Flirtacious, suave, charming... rather cute-looking... okay what the heck, I'm declaring myself a Zelos fangirl. Can't deny it, the boy is pretty.
Still doesn't excuse the sqeeing over Regal I did a minute later, come on Self we haven't even MET him yet!
Anyway, he is on a rooftop and four ninjas attack him. And he very smoothly defeats them in a completely awesome way that makes my heart flutter. And then he gets to battle Regal and both of them are awesome and totally cool. AND THEN ENTER THE SYLVARANT GANG!
4. New Opening - AKA MINOR SPOILERS ARE DROPPED AND EVERYONE LOOKS PRETTY
-squint- That Mithos we see Genis running around there? Hints about Presea's condition? Regal's backstory? Sheena's failed summoning of Volt?
Whatever, Lloyd is twirling his double swords and Colette is surrounded by flower petals and Yuan has awesome blue hair. That's what I'm going to stare at.
5. Meltokio - AKA SCENEREY PORN
Preeeeeeeetttyyyy....
6. The Gang Meets the Pope - AKA FIRST DEVIATION FROM THE GAME
Our intrepid heroes land in the middle of town in this one, instead of in the first open field on top of a mountain as in the game. This leads the Tethe'allans to quite naturally freak out and have guards surround them. This change is completely pardonable for Genis's complaining that he fell in the fountain, thinly insulting Sheena for her clumsiness, and then having to latch onto Lloyd's arm when she gets miffed, which is hilarious.
Sheena calls out for Zelos then and there. The Pope shows up and already I can tell that he's very very oily. Must be the moustache.
Colette starts glowing and doing some kind of angel power, looks like a shield around her companions and-GAH! HER EYES! OH JEEZ! Colette has the creepy red eyes! Lloyd flashes back to Remiel telling him that Colette is now an empty shell weapon of mass destruction only intent on self-preservation. He tries to put a hand on her shoulder to snap her out of it but gets zapped. And Colette does some more freaky angel power light stuff.
Eeek.
Ha ha but at least the Pope shows what a tremendous coward he is by immediately hiding behind one of his soldiers.
7. Cooldown Hug - AKA LLOYD/COLETTE IS EPIC AGAIN AND I FLAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIILLL!
Aasfhaksfh! Gasfhlahsfl! Asfasjlksfha!
COLETTE IS GLOWING AND LIKE ABOUT TO CALL JUDGEMENT DOWN ON THE PLAZA AND BURN EVERYONE TO CINDERS BUT LLOYD IS LIKE, "I'D NEVER LET COLETTE DO THAT." AND HE JUST WALKS UP TO HER AND I START HYPERVENTILATING BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE HE'S GOING FOR A COOLDOWN HUG.
AND THEN I SQUEE LIKE A MAD THING BECAUSE HE FORCES HIS ARMS AROUND HER EVEN THOUGH HE'S BEING ZAPPED AND HE HUGS HER AND HOLDS ON TIGHT AND BEGS HER, "DON'T COLETTE. STOP THIS!" AND JUST NGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH SAFHALSHFFL ASFHALKSHFALKS ASFHALH!
SQUEEEEEEEEEE!
OH TALES OF SYMPHONIA! HOW DID YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I LOVE THAT KIND OF THING?!
8. The Gang Meets Zelos - AKA I AM PROMPTLY DISTRACTED BY THE SEXY
Is it me or is Zelos Bishie Sparkling? Whatever he shows up and smiles and looks fiiiiine.
Aw and Sheena called his name all cute-like, like, "You're here my love and I'm relieved!" (Yes I totally ship these two as well. The cute fanart made me do it.)
There is more scenery porn of Meltokio and then the gang meets the king. Awesome. Raine gives the exposition to us and the king and Zelos stands and listens and makes occasional concerned expressions with his eyes and is generally very pretty-looking which is very distracting to me.
Lloyd has a flashback of their journey with Colette, accompanied by a voice-over from Sheena about the whole double-world reverse mana flow problem. Sheena angsts in this flashback about how she just couldn't assasinate Colette to save Tethe'alla. Awesome, Sheena's actually showing some character!
...is it me or does the Tethe'alla king look like Movie!Iroh from The Last Airbender?
9. Stating the New Mission - AKA THE POPE IS A JERK
This plays out pretty much just like the game, albeit more angstily. And with Sheena there. The new goal is to revert Colette back to being human. Sheena and Raine state this goal. Genis and Lloyd get into the act of making their plea as well.
And the Pope promptly recommends they all be killed. Hooray!
Zelos promptly makes the man look like a fool. Go Zelos!
The king grants his permsission and Lloyd and Genis high five. Which is cute. Darn it you two, stop being such adorable friends! The king needs to name a chaperone though and Zelos volunteers at once, making Sheena grimace, because he annoys her and she loves him.
Cut to Zelos chatting with them in the red room and... oh man, LULZ. Totally hitting on/flirting with Sheena. Puts his arm around her and calls her "Honey" and everything. She elbows him in the gut, natch.
YAY SHEELOS! I FEEL LIKE I'M BEEN SHIPPER SPOILED! FIRST EPIC AWESOME COLLOYD AND THEN HILARIOUS SLAP SLAP KISS SHEELOS! OH SHOW!
10. Exspheres - AKA LLOYD IS ALL CUTELY AWKWARD AND THERE IS MORE SHEELOS FLIRTING
Zelos gets up in Lloyd's face, grabs his hand, and comments on his exsphere. Lloyd is cutely awkward and tries to hide it. He remains quiet about it, obviously angsting about his mommy (who died to create said exsphere). Zelos and Sheena get into an argument and Genis is FREAKING ADORABLE and looks back and forth between the two like he's watching a ping-pong match. He nervously asks about the relationship between the two. They both say, "Undesireable."
Yeah just keep telling yourselves that you two. You totally love each other.
Fade out and then cut to-OH MY GOSH RAINE IS BRUSHING COLETTE'S HAIR THAT IS SO FREAKING CUTE SPAAAAZZZ
*ahem!* Er... and Lloyd and Genis have conversation on the balcony. Lloyd takes out the necklace he made Colette and looks at it wistfully. Aww.
11. Gaoracchia Forest - AKA IS THIS WHERE WE MEET PRESEA?
I hear an axe chopping. This is totally where we meet Presea isn't it?
YEP! I knew it.
Cut to Ozette, where Presea lives. Presea freaks people out by carrying the great big heavy tree all by her 12-year-old self.
Yeah, she's kind of awesome like that.
I don't have any reference for what happens next, as the Let's Play I'm watching hasn't gotten to this part yet, so I'm gonna enjoy the ride.
Oooh Altessa! I know him! He's Presea's... uncle? Guardian? Something like that. He flashbacks to Cruxis and the work he did for them on the Angelus Project, which Presea and her older sister were victims of.
Aaaand we get Presea's backstory. Cool!
...dangit Veoh lost the window. Going over to YouTube now. It won't crash on me in the middle of things.
12. Back In Viewing Business - AKA THE OVA SPOILS ME SHIP-WISE
Anyway, Altessa can't help 'cause he deliberately broke his hand to escape Cruxis and he says making a key crest is impossible for a human. Lloyd is insistant though.
Aww... and now we get some Genis/Presea. Cute!
AWWWWW... and now we're cutting to some angsty Lloyd/Colette. Lloyd whistles the song she sang for him back in Sylvarant. Altessa comes and says sorry for not being able to help Colette. Lloyd's hero complex makes him ramble.
"I promised we would go home together." Awwww...
And this spiel convinces Altessa to try making the key crest. Woot! Lloyd is so happy with this he hugs the dwarf. Altessa becomes rather ruffled at this. LOL.
There is more Sheelos hinting and more Genis/Presea cuteness. I feel like this OVA is making up for how Flash Foward has been treating me in the shipping department. I approve.
(On a random note, the animation for this has been RIDICULOUSLY pretty. I love it!)
13. Mines - AKA I AM REMINDED OF MORIA
Because we've got a dwarf and a wizard(ess) and a couple half-elves all in a mine together looking for a rare ore. The Lord of the Rings vibes are just uncanny.
Uh-oh Colette is glowing. (The red eyes are REALLY creepy by the way.)
ZOMG IT'S KRATOS! *DUN DUN DUN!*
And cue awesome Father/Son duel!
...
...holy crap this is awsome.
"Back down."
"Who would?!"
"I don't want to hurt you."
Aww... mini heartwarming moment in the midst of trying to kill each other.
...oh crud. That's Mithos/Yggdrasil's voice isn't it? Yep, I knew it. Ooh but hey! They're having the dialogue from the Tower of Salvation scene in the game, word for word. Awesome.
And of course it ends there. Drat. Stupid "To Be Continued".
AT ANY RATE, THIS NEW EPISODE HAS MADE ME VERY VERY HAPPY INDEED.
Searching the webs to see if there's a second one.
SHE BE OUT!
What a treat! I go digging randomly through the web to see if I can download the first four episodes of the OVA in order to make some Colloyd tributes and I find out the Tethe'alla arc is finally being broadcasted/distributed across the interwebs.
YAAAAAAAAY!
*claps*
Let's have a look through shall we?
1. Prologue - AKA IN WHICH LLOYD/COLETTE IS EPIC
We open with a montage of scenes from the first four episodes, the Sylvarant arc, accompanied by a voice-over from Lloyd. He berates himself for not being strong enough to save Colette, for not being able to ease her suffering, and for not getting there in time to stop her from losing her soul. He vows fervently to do everything in his power to restore Colette back to normal, so he can see her beautiful smile again.
AND MY SHIPPER'S HEART GOES SQUEEEEEEEEEE!
2. Zelos's Backstory Flashback - AKA AWW POOR MINI-ZELOS!
We next get a graytoned flashback of Zelos's backstory (which I know from reading TVTropes) in a snowy town (Flanoir?). We see some elf or half-elf maybe get roughed up by... I dunno, some thugs and then we get to watch Zelos' mother die. After telling him he shouldn't have been born. Nice.
All I got to say about this bit is that mini-Zelos is the cutest little thing in the world.
3. Present Day in Tethe'alla - AKA ZELOS IS AWESOME AND I FLAIL A LOT OVER HIM
Okay seriously. What the heck is wrong with me?! The Let's Play I've been watching of the Tales of Symphonia game JUST got to the part where we met Zelos and had him join the party. I should not be this fangirlishly squealy over seeing him in the OVA so soon.
Well... I guess he is very loveable. Flirtacious, suave, charming... rather cute-looking... okay what the heck, I'm declaring myself a Zelos fangirl. Can't deny it, the boy is pretty.
Still doesn't excuse the sqeeing over Regal I did a minute later, come on Self we haven't even MET him yet!
Anyway, he is on a rooftop and four ninjas attack him. And he very smoothly defeats them in a completely awesome way that makes my heart flutter. And then he gets to battle Regal and both of them are awesome and totally cool. AND THEN ENTER THE SYLVARANT GANG!
4. New Opening - AKA MINOR SPOILERS ARE DROPPED AND EVERYONE LOOKS PRETTY
-squint- That Mithos we see Genis running around there? Hints about Presea's condition? Regal's backstory? Sheena's failed summoning of Volt?
Whatever, Lloyd is twirling his double swords and Colette is surrounded by flower petals and Yuan has awesome blue hair. That's what I'm going to stare at.
5. Meltokio - AKA SCENEREY PORN
Preeeeeeeetttyyyy....
6. The Gang Meets the Pope - AKA FIRST DEVIATION FROM THE GAME
Our intrepid heroes land in the middle of town in this one, instead of in the first open field on top of a mountain as in the game. This leads the Tethe'allans to quite naturally freak out and have guards surround them. This change is completely pardonable for Genis's complaining that he fell in the fountain, thinly insulting Sheena for her clumsiness, and then having to latch onto Lloyd's arm when she gets miffed, which is hilarious.
Sheena calls out for Zelos then and there. The Pope shows up and already I can tell that he's very very oily. Must be the moustache.
Colette starts glowing and doing some kind of angel power, looks like a shield around her companions and-GAH! HER EYES! OH JEEZ! Colette has the creepy red eyes! Lloyd flashes back to Remiel telling him that Colette is now an empty shell weapon of mass destruction only intent on self-preservation. He tries to put a hand on her shoulder to snap her out of it but gets zapped. And Colette does some more freaky angel power light stuff.
Eeek.
Ha ha but at least the Pope shows what a tremendous coward he is by immediately hiding behind one of his soldiers.
7. Cooldown Hug - AKA LLOYD/COLETTE IS EPIC AGAIN AND I FLAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIILLL!
Aasfhaksfh! Gasfhlahsfl! Asfasjlksfha!
COLETTE IS GLOWING AND LIKE ABOUT TO CALL JUDGEMENT DOWN ON THE PLAZA AND BURN EVERYONE TO CINDERS BUT LLOYD IS LIKE, "I'D NEVER LET COLETTE DO THAT." AND HE JUST WALKS UP TO HER AND I START HYPERVENTILATING BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE HE'S GOING FOR A COOLDOWN HUG.
AND THEN I SQUEE LIKE A MAD THING BECAUSE HE FORCES HIS ARMS AROUND HER EVEN THOUGH HE'S BEING ZAPPED AND HE HUGS HER AND HOLDS ON TIGHT AND BEGS HER, "DON'T COLETTE. STOP THIS!" AND JUST NGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH SAFHALSHFFL ASFHALKSHFALKS ASFHALH!
SQUEEEEEEEEEE!
OH TALES OF SYMPHONIA! HOW DID YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I LOVE THAT KIND OF THING?!
8. The Gang Meets Zelos - AKA I AM PROMPTLY DISTRACTED BY THE SEXY
Is it me or is Zelos Bishie Sparkling? Whatever he shows up and smiles and looks fiiiiine.
Aw and Sheena called his name all cute-like, like, "You're here my love and I'm relieved!" (Yes I totally ship these two as well. The cute fanart made me do it.)
There is more scenery porn of Meltokio and then the gang meets the king. Awesome. Raine gives the exposition to us and the king and Zelos stands and listens and makes occasional concerned expressions with his eyes and is generally very pretty-looking which is very distracting to me.
Lloyd has a flashback of their journey with Colette, accompanied by a voice-over from Sheena about the whole double-world reverse mana flow problem. Sheena angsts in this flashback about how she just couldn't assasinate Colette to save Tethe'alla. Awesome, Sheena's actually showing some character!
...is it me or does the Tethe'alla king look like Movie!Iroh from The Last Airbender?
9. Stating the New Mission - AKA THE POPE IS A JERK
This plays out pretty much just like the game, albeit more angstily. And with Sheena there. The new goal is to revert Colette back to being human. Sheena and Raine state this goal. Genis and Lloyd get into the act of making their plea as well.
And the Pope promptly recommends they all be killed. Hooray!
Zelos promptly makes the man look like a fool. Go Zelos!
The king grants his permsission and Lloyd and Genis high five. Which is cute. Darn it you two, stop being such adorable friends! The king needs to name a chaperone though and Zelos volunteers at once, making Sheena grimace, because he annoys her and she loves him.
Cut to Zelos chatting with them in the red room and... oh man, LULZ. Totally hitting on/flirting with Sheena. Puts his arm around her and calls her "Honey" and everything. She elbows him in the gut, natch.
YAY SHEELOS! I FEEL LIKE I'M BEEN SHIPPER SPOILED! FIRST EPIC AWESOME COLLOYD AND THEN HILARIOUS SLAP SLAP KISS SHEELOS! OH SHOW!
10. Exspheres - AKA LLOYD IS ALL CUTELY AWKWARD AND THERE IS MORE SHEELOS FLIRTING
Zelos gets up in Lloyd's face, grabs his hand, and comments on his exsphere. Lloyd is cutely awkward and tries to hide it. He remains quiet about it, obviously angsting about his mommy (who died to create said exsphere). Zelos and Sheena get into an argument and Genis is FREAKING ADORABLE and looks back and forth between the two like he's watching a ping-pong match. He nervously asks about the relationship between the two. They both say, "Undesireable."
Yeah just keep telling yourselves that you two. You totally love each other.
Fade out and then cut to-OH MY GOSH RAINE IS BRUSHING COLETTE'S HAIR THAT IS SO FREAKING CUTE SPAAAAZZZ
*ahem!* Er... and Lloyd and Genis have conversation on the balcony. Lloyd takes out the necklace he made Colette and looks at it wistfully. Aww.
11. Gaoracchia Forest - AKA IS THIS WHERE WE MEET PRESEA?
I hear an axe chopping. This is totally where we meet Presea isn't it?
YEP! I knew it.
Cut to Ozette, where Presea lives. Presea freaks people out by carrying the great big heavy tree all by her 12-year-old self.
Yeah, she's kind of awesome like that.
I don't have any reference for what happens next, as the Let's Play I'm watching hasn't gotten to this part yet, so I'm gonna enjoy the ride.
Oooh Altessa! I know him! He's Presea's... uncle? Guardian? Something like that. He flashbacks to Cruxis and the work he did for them on the Angelus Project, which Presea and her older sister were victims of.
Aaaand we get Presea's backstory. Cool!
...dangit Veoh lost the window. Going over to YouTube now. It won't crash on me in the middle of things.
12. Back In Viewing Business - AKA THE OVA SPOILS ME SHIP-WISE
Anyway, Altessa can't help 'cause he deliberately broke his hand to escape Cruxis and he says making a key crest is impossible for a human. Lloyd is insistant though.
Aww... and now we get some Genis/Presea. Cute!
AWWWWW... and now we're cutting to some angsty Lloyd/Colette. Lloyd whistles the song she sang for him back in Sylvarant. Altessa comes and says sorry for not being able to help Colette. Lloyd's hero complex makes him ramble.
"I promised we would go home together." Awwww...
And this spiel convinces Altessa to try making the key crest. Woot! Lloyd is so happy with this he hugs the dwarf. Altessa becomes rather ruffled at this. LOL.
There is more Sheelos hinting and more Genis/Presea cuteness. I feel like this OVA is making up for how Flash Foward has been treating me in the shipping department. I approve.
(On a random note, the animation for this has been RIDICULOUSLY pretty. I love it!)
13. Mines - AKA I AM REMINDED OF MORIA
Because we've got a dwarf and a wizard(ess) and a couple half-elves all in a mine together looking for a rare ore. The Lord of the Rings vibes are just uncanny.
Uh-oh Colette is glowing. (The red eyes are REALLY creepy by the way.)
ZOMG IT'S KRATOS! *DUN DUN DUN!*
And cue awesome Father/Son duel!
...
...holy crap this is awsome.
"Back down."
"Who would?!"
"I don't want to hurt you."
Aww... mini heartwarming moment in the midst of trying to kill each other.
...oh crud. That's Mithos/Yggdrasil's voice isn't it? Yep, I knew it. Ooh but hey! They're having the dialogue from the Tower of Salvation scene in the game, word for word. Awesome.
And of course it ends there. Drat. Stupid "To Be Continued".
AT ANY RATE, THIS NEW EPISODE HAS MADE ME VERY VERY HAPPY INDEED.
Searching the webs to see if there's a second one.